Posts

Posted on

World Series savior Miguel Rojas was the star of DodgerFest

Dodger Stadium has hosted playoff games, parades, and pressure that can crush a season before it even begins. On Saturday, it hosted something for the very first time: a fan festival for back-to-back World Series Champions. 

An estimated 30,000 fans poured into Chavez Ravine for the 2026 Dodgers FanFest, and an opportunity to see their beloved Boys in Blue since the confetti settled on the celebration in November. 

The early hours felt like a block party dressed in blue.

An estimated 30,000 fans poured into Chavez Ravine for the 2026 Dodgers FanFest. California Post
Dodger Stadium hosted the first ever fan-festival for back-to-back World Series Champions. California Post

Fans drifted through centerfield plaza lined with interactive games, sponsor activations, live music, and the familiar chaos of Dodger Dogs and cold beers disappearing faster than winter should allow. VIP experiences pulled fans into places usually reserved for October tension, while exclusive merchandise flew off the racks like souvenirs from a dynasty still in progress.

But what stood out wasn’t the scale, it was the ease in which the players interacted with the fans. 

Blake Snell ran along the barriers passing out first bumps. Anthony Banda blushed as women screamed out his name, telling him they “loved him.” In fact, for all the players in attendance, the screams never stopped. But neither did the smiles on the defending champions faces.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!

“This is always a really fun event,” said Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy, after waving to the fans from the Dodgers’ bullpen. “When you come to this event, and you see how excited the fans are, it just really gets you in the right mindset.”

Autograph lines wrapped around pillars. Selfies with players were a currency shared amongst everyone. And when Shohei Ohtani finally appeared, the reaction felt less like baseball and more like a pop culture phenomenon.

“This is always a really fun event,” said Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy. California Post
Selfies with players were a currency shared amongst everyone. And when Shohei Ohtani finally appeared, the reaction felt less like baseball and more like a pop culture phenomenon. California Post

“It was like the Beatles in the 60s when Shohei pulled up,” said Brian, a Dodgers fan from Westlake who drove over an hour to be at FanFest.

Ohtani might have gotten the loudest ovation, but Miguel Rojas drew a different kind of roar— louder, deeper, more personal. Re-signed for one final season after his Game 7 heroics, Rojas is now walking into what fans already view as a farewell tour.

Ohtani might have gotten the loudest ovation, but Miguel Rojas drew a different kind of roar— louder, deeper, more personal. California Post
The loudest anticipation centered on something still to come: the first night Edwin Díaz jogs in from the bullpen to “Timmy Trumpets.” Chavez Ravine already knows how it will sound. California Post

“I’m so glad Miguel Rojas is coming back for another year,” said Joey Molloy, a lifelong Dodgers fan attending his sixth FanFest. “He got the biggest ovation by far, outside of Shohei.” 

And yet, even with rings flashing and banners looming, the loudest anticipation centered on something still to come: the first night Edwin Díaz jogs in from the bullpen to “Timmy Trumpets.” Chavez Ravine already knows how it will sound.

“That’s going to hit so hard in this stadium,” said Molloy. 

The chatter across the stadium was equal parts celebration and ambition. California Post
The real conversation was about a three-peat. About becoming the first team since the 1998–2000 Yankees to pull it off. California Post

The chatter across the stadium was equal parts celebration and ambition. Back-to-back World Series titles were celebrated, then immediately filed away. The real conversation was about a three-peat. About becoming the first team since the 1998–2000 Yankees to pull it off. About embracing the villain label that comes with spending, winning, and refusing to apologize for either. “The Dodgers aren’t ruining baseball,” said Stephanie, decked out in a Dodgers Mexican heritage night jersey. “The owners who don’t spend are.”

The day closed with a 90-minute stage show. Dave Roberts didn’t duck the word “three-peat.” Neither did the players. “We’re comfortable with winning,” said Victor Ramirez, an electrician from Eagle Rock. “We’re a little spoiled.”

He’s right. But this is what winning looks like. 

Posted on

NBA Final Score – Timberwolves 131, Grizzlies 114: Sleepwalking to a Victory

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 31: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on January 31, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Game Story

The Minnesota Timberwolves were coming off one of their most impressive wins of the season. A wire-to-wire dismantling of the reigning champions despite being at the end of a back-to-back. The Memphis Grizzlies? They were coming off a road loss to the second to last place New Orleans Pelicans, and now on the end of their own back-to-back.

Not only was Memphis already down several key players such as Ja Morant, they would be without the services of two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. and other key starters such as Santi Aldama. It was a classic “trap game” which Minnesota fell prey to in December. A game which Head Coach Chris Finch called “a horrendous night” and Jock Landale went off for season-high in three-pointers made.

Who they would have tonight was Ty Jerome. Jerome, the second runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year last season, made his long-awaited season debut for the Grizzlies. He would make his presence felt early, scoring the first four points and taking an early lead for his team.

The 7-2 lead would be the only lead for Memphis.

Julius Randle was red hot from perimeter early, draining three straight treys in the first quarter. Anthony Edwards was testing the perimeter defense of the zombie Grizzlies, scoring on a bevy of beautiful jumpers. Memphis tried to do their best the hang in there, even goading Rudy Gobert into an early technical foul. However, it was clear from the first quarter that the talent difference was going to be too much for them to overcome. Even to the Timberwolves.

The Wolves had a nine-point lead heading into the second quarter, then quickly ballooned that up to 16 in the third. Naz Reid was superb once again, dialing in from deep over and over again. Nine of his 20 points came in the second period.

Minnesota did show a typical lack of intensity on the defensive end though. Many times, it felt that they were opting to exchange baskets with Memphis, hoping that eventually the Grizzlies would just give up. To their credit, the Wolves upheld their end of the bargain, converting on 12 mid-range jumpers and 18 three-pointers. They shot an impressive 52.8% from the field.

The Grizzlies final push came early in the fourth quarter, drawing eight free throw attempts early to slice the lead down to 13, but that was as close as it ever got. It was nearly seven full minutes of Yakety Sax basketball with both teams throwing the ball all over the place, but Minnesota just had too many shot makers on their team.

At the end of the day, it was a fairly easy win against a team they should have have steamrolled.

Sometimes, games just aren’t that exciting. Tonight was one of them.

Comment of the Night

Malastare loved Joan Beringer’s 5 minute, +6 stint tonight

Box Score

Up Next

Both teams get a day off before they do it all over again. The play the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, February 2 at 8:30 pm CT. The rematch will be available for the national audience to watch on Peacock / NBC or FanDuel Sports North, for some reason.

Highlights

Posted on

Mavericks vs Rockets Final Score: Houston escapes Dallas, 111-107

HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 31: Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks plays defense during the game against the Houston Rockets on January 31, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks (19-30) fell to the Houston Rockets (30-17), 111-107, on Saturday night in a grindy, back-and-forth affair. Amen Thompson led Houston with 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Cooper Flagg was stellar in defeat, scoring 34 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing five assists.

Both the Mavericks and the Rockets started the game with many, many bricks. When Dallas called a timeout down 13-8 at the six-minute mark, the two teams had shot a combined 8-of-26 from the field. Flagg and Durant come out of the stoppage dueling, with the former driving the lane with authority and the latter connecting on beautiful jumpers. Dallas managed to hang with Houston early on as Alperen Sengun seemed to forget how to play basketball, missing all six of his attempts in the quarter. Brandon Williams’ efforts helped keep Dallas in the mix late into the frame with his paint probing, but Houston would end the quarter up 31-28.

The second quarter saw the Rockets continue to take Dallas lightly. The Mavericks went shot-for-shot with their betters in the first six minutes of the quarter. Following a Houston timeout, the Rockets finally managed to string together a few defensive possessions while converting on the other end. Sengun finally broke the seal on the basket with 5:05 left in the half to give the Rockets a five-point lead, forcing a Jason Kidd timeout. The lead grew to as large as eight, with Dallas managing to chop the lead to three with 30 seconds to go. But a Jabari Smith ally-oop and Durant 3-pointer gave the Rockets an eight-point lead heading into the half.

After outworking Houston on the boards on both ends in the first half, Dallas got hammered on the glass in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Rockets grew their lead to 13 twice before Kidd called a timeout to settle the troops. The Mavericks just kept coming and had a chance to cut it to four on a Caleb Martin lay in, but it was blocked by two Rockets, which led to a Houston 3-pointer on the fast break. Martin later atoned with a made 3-ball and a free throw to cut the lead to five. Dallas entered the fourth down 87-82.

The final frame was more of the same: good basketball from both teams, with Houston being just a bit better. The Rockets managed to hold a double-digit lead for a significant portion of the period, but the Mavericks kept firing away. Klay Thompson’s back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth gave the Mavericks some momentum, and a Flagg bucket with a foul gave Dallas a chance to make it a clutch game with under four minutes remaining. But he missed the free throw and Durant answered the possession to give Houston an eight-point lead.

Daniel Gafford made a pair of free throws to make it a clutch game with 2:30 to go, and he followed that up with a loose-ball dunk to pull Dallas within two. The Mavericks and Rockets traded baskets only for Naji Marshall to tie the game at 107 with 50 seconds left. Sengun answered the next possession with a post bucket over Max Christie, and Dallas called a timeout with 29 seconds to go. Flagg drove to the basket on the ensuing possession and pushed it too hard (there may have been uncalled contact). Dallas failed to foul and allowed an open-court dunk as Houston escaped Dallas, 111-107.

Have to make your free throws, guys

In a four point loss, the Mavericks missed 11 free throws. That can’t happen. The margins for the Mavericks are too tight most games, they’re *right there* in many contests so these self inflicted wounds really hurt. Flagg and Marshall combined to miss seven of them, and that will gnaw at them following this one.

Amen Thompson, everywhere all at once

Thompson’s the kind of player I struggle to explain to casuals. Everyone sees the top tier athleticism, but they also see the really bad 3-point shooting percentage. Here’s what I see: a guy who appears all over the basketball court. I don’t know how many deflections he had in this game, but his two steals don’t tell the tale. He pestered every passing lane he was near. Offensively, he grabbed five offensive rebounds. As a forward, that’s ridiculous. His nearly 80% free-throw shooting tells me there’s some hope yet to his shot, so this is a guy NBA watchers should keep a close eye on.

Extra Rockets possessions doomed Dallas

Dallas took 16 fewer shots than the Rockets. While they did reasonably well on the defensive glass in spurts against Houston, they didn’t do well enough, surrendering 18 (Dallas didn’t do bad themselves, grabbing 11). But if you get beat on the boards and turn the ball over more (11 to 6 in favor of Houston with fewer), then it’s really hard to win the game.

Posted on

Purple Row After Dark: Was trading Angel Chivilli the right move?

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 2: Colorado Rockies pitcher Angel Chivilli (57) pitches in the sixth inning during a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 2, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Last week, the Colorado Rockies traded RHP Angel Chivilli to the New York Yankees for first base prospect T.J. Rumsfeld.

Later that day, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said of the move,

I wouldn’t say we necessarily wanted to [trade Chivilli], because he obviously has a terrific arm, he’s still very young, he did miss a lot of bats. I think there are a lot of things about Angel that are really attractive. We weren’t anxious to move him, but we did feel like our bullpen is a real area of depth, and there have been clubs asking about a number of our bullpen arms throughout the course of the last couple months. And ultimately, this was a deal that seemed to fit and seemed to come together for us. It wasn’t a situation where we were looking to move him by any stretch, there was just enough interest, and I found a deal that ultimately made sense. But we were dealing from an area of strength where we could then bolster our position player club going forward.

Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports media wrote positively about the potential of the move, referring to Chivilli’s arm as “a high-risk stick of dynamite,” concluding, “I’ll take the dynamite.”

So, Purple Row night owls, here’s the evening’s question: Was trading Chivilli the right move, or should the Rockies have kept him as a reclamation project and moved a different reliever?

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Posted on

Canucks Wrap Up Homestand With 3-2 Shootout Loss To The Maple Leafs

The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their eight-game homestand on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both goals were scored by rookies as Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Tom Willander found the back of the net. As for Nikita Tolopilo, he had a strong game in net, stopping 39 of the 41 shots he faced. 

In the end, Vancouver was lucky that this game made it to overtime and eventually a shootout. The Canucks were outshot 18-5 in the third, with Tolopilo being the main reason the game finished regulation 2-2. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote was asked about what happened in the third period and why his club was unable to generate shots on goal. 

"Well, we played against a desperate team," said Foote. "They're going for it. They were pinching on us. It seemed like a few board battles, we didn't get pucks out that we should have gotten out. That's what happens when you play a team as desperate as they are."

As for Tolopilo, he was the story of the night. He came up clutch for the team in regulation and even stopped Auston Matthews in overtime on a penalty shot. Post-game, center Elias Pettersson said, "Yeah, he's really good for us. Keeping us in the game, all game long.

Another storyline from this game was the ice time of Lekkerimäki. Despite scoring, the 21-year-old did not play the final nine minutes of regulation or overtime. Post-game, Foote explained why the coaching staff decided to sit Lekkerimäki with the game tied late. 

"It's more of the defensive side," said Foote. "He's getting there for sure. The more time he's with us, the more he will know certain things, and the trust will be there. It's just slight movements defensively. It's just being young. It's not even a mistake. The longer he is here. He's a smart guy. He'll get that pretty quick. 

Lastly, one skater who had a strong game overall was Willander. He scored his sixth of the season and played 16 minutes. Post-game, Willander spoke about the performance and what has changed over the past few games. 

"I think actually over the last two games, starting last game, our defensive play has been a lot more solid," said Willander. "And I think we're finding our system a little bit better. We kind of talked through that a lot, and we're starting to find exactly what we're supposed to do in different situations. And I feel like we go better together defending as a five instead of more of man-to-man, so I think it's going the right way."

Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) battle with Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (88) and goalie Joseph Woll (60) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) battle with Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (88) and goalie Joseph Woll (60) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Ultimately, this was not a great performance, but thanks to Tolopilo, it resulted in Vancouver picking up a point. As for the atmosphere, it was great as Canucks and Maple Leafs fans launched duelling chants throughout the game. In the end, though, this homestand can be considered a success from a tank perspective as the team only picked up five of a possible 16 points. 

Stats and Facts:

- Elias Pettersson records his 80th blocked shot of the season

- Vancouver ends its eight-game homestand with a record of 2-5-1

- David Kämpf went 15 for 21 in the faceoff dot

- Nikita Tolopilo is the sixth rookie in franchise history to stop a penalty shot

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

No Scoring

2nd Period:

1:55- VAN: Jonathan Lekkerimäki (2) from Liam Öhgren and Pierre-Olivier Joseph
13:34- TOR: Nicolas Roy (5) from Nicholas Robertson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson
14:45- VAN: Tom Willander (4) from Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson

3rd Period:

2:26- TOR: Max Domi (9) from Auston Matthews

Overtime:

No Scoring

Shootout:

TOR: William Nylander

Up Next:

The Canucks hit the road for two straight, starting on Monday against the Utah Mammoth. Vancouver has already faced Utah once this season, which resulted in a 4-1 loss to the Mammoth. Game time is set for 6:30 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Canucks Forward Arshdeep Bains Closing In On Franchise Record

Where Are They Now?: Looking At The Five Pieces Involved In The Canucks’ Elias Lindholm Trade

Canucks Defenceman Tom Willander Is Keeping Things Candid In His First NHL Season

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Hockey News
The Hockey News
Posted on

Devils give up three third-period goals in 4-1 loss to Senators

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in his first start for Ottawa since taking a leave of absence Dec. 28, Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists and the Senators beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Saturday night.

Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens scored his 100th NHL goal for Ottawa. The Senators have won three in a row.

Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 30 saves for New Jersey. The Devils have lost three of four.

The Devils were without Jack Hughes. He’s out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Devils: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Senators: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.

Posted on

Ullmark wins in return from leave of absence, Senators beat Devils 4-1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 26 saves in his first start for Ottawa since taking a leave of absence Dec. 28, Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists and the Senators beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Saturday night.

Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens scored his 100th NHL goal for Ottawa. The Senators have won three in a row.

Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 30 saves for New Jersey. The Devils have lost three of four.

The Devils were without Jack Hughes. He's out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Devils: Host Columbus on Tuesday night.

Senators: At Pittsburgh on Monday night

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Retired NFL quarterback Eli Manning was at the Senators game and presented a fan a gift certificate for best quarterback celebration as part of an in-game promotion.

KEY STAT

Cozens’ power-play goal was his 100th career goal.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Senators: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2026.

___

PUBLISH SETTINGS:

URGENCY: Routine

PLATFORM:

AUDIENCE:

CONTENT TYPE:

NAMED ITEM:

SOURCE: Canadian Press

LANGUAGE: en

Posted on

Cavaliers coach receives hefty fine for interaction with NBA official

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been fined for an aggressive interaction with an official during a game against the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 30. 

James Jones, who serves as the NBA’s Executive Vice President/Head of Basketball Operations, announced that Atkinson was fined $50,000 for "aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact" with a referee.

Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game and was ejected with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Friday night's contest. The Suns went on to beat the Cavaliers 126-113, the loss snapping Cleveland's five-game winning streak.

Atkinson was upset about a no-call on Suns guard Collin Gillespie, who was aggressively defended by Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill.

When do Cavaliers play next?

The Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 9 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined for interaction with NBA official

Posted on

Florida Can't Hold Late Lead In 2-1 Loss To Winnipeg On Home Ice

The Florida Panthers came up short on Saturday in the first of a three-game homestand.

Playing just their third game in Sunrise over the past several weeks, Florida took a lead into the third period only to lose 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets at Amerant Bank Arena.

Despite skating without key forwards Brad Marchand (undisclosed) and Anton Lundell (upper-body), Florida played a strong game during the opening periods and took an earned lead into the late stages of the contest.

That lead was off a snipe by young forward Eetu Luostarien that came moments after Florida came off the power play.

As Jets’ defenseman Logan Stanley was sprinting out of the penalty box after serving a two-minute minor for cross-checking Florida forward Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues corralled the puck at the blue line and fed an open Eetu in the right circle.

It didn’t take long for Luostarinen to wind up and fire a laser of a wrist shot past a screened Jets’ goalie Eric Comrie’s glove and into the net at the 14:40 mark of the first period.

Florida held onto that lead into the third period, and it wasn’t until nearly the halfway point of that final frame that Winnipeg finally was able to light the lamp.

After Gabe Vilardi made a couple nice moves to get to the Cats’ net, a streaking Cole Perfetti found a rebound and beat Sergei Borbovsky to knot the score at one at the 8:34 mark of the third period.

That’s how the score would remain until there was just 4:14 on the clock.

On what appeared to be a harmless zone entry, Winnipeg made a couple quick passes to completely bewilder the Panthers and take a 2-1 lead in the game’s final minutes.

It was a great passing sequence, with Gus Nyquist finding Kyle Connor entering the zone and then Connor going to the back of the crease where Mark Scheifele was waiting to slam home what proved to be the game-winning goal.

On to the Sabres.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Panthers Begin First Homestand Of 2026 Against Visiting Jets

The Hockey Show: On Location For NHL Stadium Series In The New Official State of Hockey

Panthers' Brad Marchand Sustains An Undisclosed Injury Against Blues; Set To Re-Evaluated

Three Takeaways: Panthers Giving Maximum Effort, Costly Errors Difficult To Overcome

Panthers Give Up Power Play Goal With 8.4 Seconds Left, Lose 5-4 In St. Louis

Photo caption: Jan 31, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti (91) scores against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Posted on

Maple Leafs beat Canucks 3-2 in shootout to end 6-game losing streak

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Auston Matthews and William Nylander scored in a shootout and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Saturday night to end a six-game losing streak.

Matthews had a chance to win it in overtime when he was awarded a penalty shot after Conor Garland was called for hooking, but goaltender Nikita Tolopilo made the save.

Nicolas Roy and Max Domi scored for Toronto, and Joseph Woll made 28 saves.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander scored for Vancouver. The Canucks have two wins in their last 17 games.

Domi tied it early in the third with a shot that hit Tolopilo’s shoulder then rolled over his back into the net.

Tolopilo stopped 39 shots.

Up next

Maple Leafs: At Calgary on Monday night.

Canucks: At Utah on Monday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Posted on

Predators 4, Islanders 3: Nothing gained

Give the man some help. | Getty Images

The Islanders lost a frustrating game in regulation to the Nashville Predators, one they didn’t really deserve anything from, though the circumstances were still frustrating.

They blew an early 2-0 lead after looking pretty good in the first 10 minutes of the game, then were completely discombobulated the rest of the way, relying on Ilya Sorokin to keep them in it. Even with that, they also lost a 3-2 lead, had a goal overturned (and their coach’s challenge denied) for goalie interference on Anthony Duclair outside the crease, and gave up the game winner with just 1:14 left to play while the teams were at 4-on-4 following another head-scratching official’s ruling.

All that said, they’d have been lucky to get one point from this game and the 4-3 loss was warranted. You could argue they should’ve lost by much more — the Predators had a UBS record 22 shots in the second period alone — if only to make crystal clear they can’t get away with playing like this against non-Rangers-level foes.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

To think, it all started out like it might be a fun night. Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair were buzzing on their first shift and got the Isles on the board at 1:29 as Barzal batted a bouncing puck in at the back door.

Matthew Schaefer double the lead four minutes later when Ryan Pulock handled a difficult pass from Barzal but stumbled with it just long enough to draw the opposite side winger toward him. That left Schaefer wide open for a feed, and the 18-year-0ld drove down the left wing faceoff circle and picked his spot on Juuse Saros for his 15th(!) goal.

But the lead didn’t last, and once again the Isles special teams could not reverse the tide. Nashville got on the board at the midway point just six seconds after Adam Pelech went into the box for tripping, and the Preds added a tying goal three minutes later. As the Predators continued to push, the Isles looked lucky to escape the period tied.

Even moreso in the second, when J-G Pageau got them a brief lead scoring against the flow of play. He drove the slot and made a pass attempt for Anders Lee, who had fed him first. The pass was blocked, but it still sent all of the Predators, including Saros, the wrong way while Pageau picked up the rebound and slid it in.

Filip Forsberg tied it at 3-3 seven minutes later, and miraculously that was how things would stay until Roman Josi’s late dagger.

The Goalie Interference(?)

Patrick Roy, the veteran of 19 NHL sesons and 1,029 games, clearly doesn’t understand what counts a goalie interference in this league…and neither does anyone else. The officials aggressively called this one off rather than waiting for a Nashville challenge (Saros’ dramatic glove toss may have helped), so it was left for the Isles to challenge and note some things that we have heard are important: 1) Duclair wasn’t in the crease, 2) Saros initiated contact, with his teammate helping keep Duclair there, 3) Not even sure if that contact was what prevented Saros — who seemed more intent in coming out to push Duclair — from making a play on a shot from the other side.

But whatever. I’m kind of glad it happened in a game the Isles seemed intent to lose anyway. You can argue from the scoreboard that it cost them the game, but they still killed the ensuing penalty off and they were sabotaging themselves throughout, they would’ve still found a way to lose.

This and That

  • With the Isles under a barrage and unable to connect passes, Roy had his line blender out and was trying all kinds of combos. Nothing seemed to right the ship.
  • Casey Cizikas did return to the lineup but Max Shabanov stayed in, replacing Jonathan Drouin who was officially listed as sick.
  • Is there any more pure joy on Bossy’s green earth than 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer celebrating a goal?

Up Next

Can’t help thinking this one was a costly loss. Nashville is beatable, while the Penguins, Capitals, Blue Jackets and Canadiens all won tonight.

The Isles’ remaining schedule includes the back-to-back of Monday night in Washington and Tuesday back home vs. the Penguins, before they finish the pre-Olympic stretch Thursday in New Jersey.

Posted on

Taking a walk down memory lane with today’s ceremony celebrating the Penguins’ 2016 Cup team

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 31: Sidney Crosby #87, Evgeni Malkin #71 and Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins watch the video board during the 10 year anniversary of the 2016 Stanley Cup winning team before the game against the New York Rangers during the at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

It was an emotional day at PPG Paints Arena as a reunion of sorts was held for the Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup team.

A large chunk of the team’s roster from the 2016 Stanley Cup team was back in Pittsburgh to be honored and celebrated before the Penguins’ game against the New York Rangers.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby spoke at length about how it felt to be reunited with his teammates, saying that as you continue playing in your career, you tend to forget some of the big moments from the winning years, but that it was awesome to see everyone back in Pittsburgh.

As a tribute video to the team was playing in the arena, Crosby was visibly emotional on the ice.

“I just you know, obviously loved that group and it’s pretty special when you have that bond and you win together,” Crosby said to Kevin Weekes during an interview on the ice. “When you see them all here and you see some of those clips, it’s definitely emotional but it’s still awesome to see them.”

Bryan Rust shared a similar sentiment.

“We were hockey players, and that’s our goal, to win Stanley Cups,” Rust said. “To be able to do this, and do that with the group that we had and all the amazing memories, it brings back so many smiles. It brings back happy tears.”

Patric Hornqvist said he didn’t come back to town just for the ceremony, but to take a little walk down memory lane as well.

“We rented a car yesterday to drive around, see our old houses, where my kids went to school, and the grocery stores,” Hornqvist said. “We almost lived our old life for one day, not playing hockey, and then the same night, you meet these guys who are like family. When you win, that’s how close you get to each other.”

As for this year’s Penguins, Pittsburgh defeated the Rangers in a 6-5 barnburner of a game.

Pittsburgh has now won six straight games and are 7-0-2 in their last nine games with their last regulation loss coming on January 11.

The Penguins are back at home on Monday night as they host the Ottawa Senators and then hit the road to face the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres before the NHL’s Olympic break.

Posted on

Doug Shows tried to royally screw Kentucky at Arkansas: ‘Worst technical foul I’ve ever seen’

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope argues with an official during SEC college basketball Wednesday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky January 7, 2026. Pope would be ejected from the game in the second half. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats bounce back on the road at No. 15 Arkansas and capture a much-needed win. The final score came out to 85-77 as the Cats picked up their fifteenth win of the season, and Mark Pope got his revenge on John Calipari.

The Wildcats led most of the way, but BBN’s favorite referee, Doug Shows, played a huge role throughout the game. A total of seven technical fouls were assessed during Saturday night’s game at Bud Walton Arena. The Wildcats had 4, and the Razorbacks had 3.

There were five technical fouls given by Shows’ crew during the second half, and three of them were within a 38-second stretch as the Wildcats were trying to hold onto a tight lead. Brandon Garrison, Mo Doiubate, and Pope were the ones who received techs during that gruesome stretch of play.

The most egregious was this phantom technical foul from Shows on Mo Dioubate after he blocked a shot out of bounds.

The Field of 68 reporter Rob Dauster said it best, calling it the worst technical foul he’s ever seen while saying, “Doug Shows should never be allowed to officiate another game after that. Horrendous.”

The Wildcats found a way to win on the road despite just shooting 19-30 (63%) from the charity stripe. Trent Noah came up big from the FT line as he finished the night 6-8.

And to cap off the night, Razorbacks big man Trevon Brazile intentionally fouled Noah and grabbed him by the jersey, and tossed him down court, making that his fifth foul of the night with just 14 seconds remaining.

Stay classy, Razorbacks.

The Wildcats are back in action on Wednesday night as Otega Oweh’s former team, the Oklahoma Sooners, come to Rupp Arena. Everyone knows how well that series went for the Cats last season, so expect another barnburner this time around.

Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

You want more A Sea Of Blue coverage? Then add us to your “Preferred Sources” on Google to get all the latest Kentucky Wildcats news and views. And Go CATS!

Posted on

Special Teams Fail Devils In 4-1 Loss To Senators

Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 30 saves on 33 shots in the New Jersey Devils 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night.

New Jersey surrendered the game's opening goal for the 31st time this season. After the Devils failed to convert on two power play opportunities, Brady Tkachuk scored while Ottawa was on the man advantage at the 13:38 mark of the first period.

With 1:41 remaining in the period, Cody Glass won the offensive zone draw against Ridly Greig. The 26-year-old battled for the puck near Linus Ullmark's crease and passed it to Meier to tie the game entering the first intermission.

37 seconds into the third period, Jonas Siegenthaler was called for a hooking penalty, leading to the Senators scoring their second power play goal for a 2-1 lead. Ottawa went 2-for-3 on the man advantage, while the Devils couldn't convert on their five opportunities.

Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto scored the Senators' third and fourth goals in the final two minutes of regulation. Tkachuk finished the game with three points (one goal, two assists).

Jack Hughes was sidelined with a lower-body injury that he sustained against the Nashville Predators and is currently considered day-to-day.

The Devils will return to Newark and prepare to host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday at Prudential Center.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Image

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Posted on

Roman Josi nets 200th career goal as Nashville Predators defeat Islanders | Recap

Captain Roman Josi scored his 200th career goal in the third period, snapping a tie and giving the Nashville Predators a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday at UBS Arena. 

He is now the 24th defenseman all-time to surpass 200 career goals. Josi now has 10 goals and 23 assists on the year, recording a goal and an assist against the Islanders.

On the play, during 4-on-4 play, Josi took the puck up the ice into the Islanders' zone before backpedaling and then wristing a shot bardown on Ilya Sorokin for the lead with 1:14 left in the game. 

The Predators gave up the first goal of the game 1:29 into the game off a shot from Matthew Barzal. It's the fifth time in the last six games that the Predators have fallen behind early.

The 2025 first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, scored his 15th goal of the season to double the Islanders' lead less than six minutes into the game. 

Adam Pelech was called for tripping on Andreas Englund, putting the Predators on the power play halfway through the first period, and Filip Forsberg converted to get Nashville on the board. 

 About three minutes later, Matthew Wood scored his first goal since Dec. 6 to tie the game at two. Wood had his first multipoint game (one goal, one assist) since Dec. 11, when he had two assists in a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. 

J.G. Pageau gave the Islanders back in the second period, but Forsberg would net his second goal of the game to tie things up at three. Forsberg now has 22 goals and 21 assists on the season. 

New York believed it had scored the game-leading goal in the third period, but it was waived off due to goaltender interference. The Islanders challenged the call and lost. 

Of note, defenseman Nick Blakenburg did not play due to illness and was ruled "day-to-day."

Nashville improves to 25-23-6 on the season and is within three points of a Wild Card spot. It will face the St. Louis Blues next on Monday at 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena.